sandie Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Very interesting conversation going on here, a topic many should look into given the current state of things in the economical climate currently. Any extra pennies saved over time could prove quite helpful but having the funds to action things to help save on water bills may also be an issue. I have provided some information on Rainwater harvesting system which can be very helpful in reducing costs on water bills. Rainwater harvesting is a great way to cut down on water bill costs, on new and existing properties. Climate change has altered the pattern of rainfall, leading to short heavier bursts of rain causing major risks to existing drainage infrastructure, so having a rainwater harvester will also combat against this by storing some of the downfall. Most homes will be using expensive purified water to flush there toilets and used in washing, while clean rainwater will be left to wash away. A very small amount of purified water is used for drinking and washing, thus the majority going to waste and increasing your water bill. On average you could be looking at up to a 50% saving on your water usage. You forget one important point Legionella due to storage of water. Rain water contains bacteria, if I am mistaken ther is a maximum amount of time you can store the water then you have to pump it out. The other point is you have to use a pump to deliver it to the WC which uses energy, so how you cut your water bills bills by 50% and your save your bills I find hard to beileve. I have commisioned many rainwater systems both domestic and comercial and with no succes and we have a lot of rain here. Rainwater is good for the garden, not for the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obelix Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Rainwater systems only seem to make sense if you can store it in the attic and feed by gravity to the WC. However storing a few tons of water on the ceiling rafters is not something to be taken lightly I would imagine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert_Baehr Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 It's even more difficult if you don't have an attic and if you have to have dual systems, one of which is fed at mains pressure. The temperature here today was 32 (fairly normal for the time of year) and in February, it could be -32. It's unlikely to be above zero between December and March. It's not a good idea to store rainwater at sub-zero temperatures (not a problem while the temperatures stay below zero, but when they hit about +4 again, rainwater storage tanks don't do so well. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eater Sundae Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 As already mentioned, there are problems harvesting rainwater for use in the house, particularly size of storage needed, how to cope with a period of rainless weather, what about bacterial growth in water held for a long period, how to melt snow etc. Surely the big, easier savings come from re-using water. Using drainage from baths, showers, washing machines and dishwashers to flush toilets is a much easier hit. People shower or bath on a daily basis, and they flush the toilet every day also, so the intermediate storage needed is fairly small. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey Shaw Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 And is that cost-effective? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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